Another Week Down In The Jungle

Hello all! Another week down in the jungle, Week 29 of the mission to be exact. This area is rough but the Lord's work will forever go on. We just contact and contact and contact alllll day. Something that Jack told me last week that I'm trying to put in practice is . . . sometimes you're the planter and sometimes you're the harvester.  I really love Elder Call. That man does not get discouraged para nada. It is honestly really great!

We had a baptism Saturday, and it was a miracle!  We taught all of lesson 4 in one week, which never happens, so he could be baptized this Saturday. It kinda came outta nowhere but I'm stoked for it. The other elders in our district had a wedding and baptized their family the following day, so we had a white night as a district with 7 baptisms. That was lit. (Elder call has me saying lit hahah) 

While we were at that baptism, the first counseler in the bishopric and I were talking, and he told me "Elder Roper, si usted se esfuerza por tener mejor vocabulario y siga aprendiendo, usted podrá hablar sin dejo. ya habla muy bien, no parece como gringo." (if you strive to have better vocab and keep learning, you'll be able to talk without accent. You already speak really well, it doesn't seem like a gringo) I about POOPED on the spot. I've really been feelin' down on spanish lately, and that honestly was just what I needed. I feel like all my work to have a good accent in the beginning of my mission is finally paying off, and it makes me really happy. (:

I feel like I look really fat in the baptism pics, but honestly its because my pants are huge. They're the ones from Jackson's wedding just before my junior year. I'm definitely a bit smaller than I was then haha. I need more slim fits. I really think they're better to proselyte in, they're not as baggy haha. Hard to explain over email. 

Elder Jackson (el negro en las fotos) is the GREATEST DL of all time! He's such a good guy. He goes home in September, and I'm pretty sad about that. But I'm happy for the time we'll have in our district. 

If you can find Maracuya flavored Tang on Amazon or something, that's what we drink here a lot! If you are trying to get a taste of Pulcallpa, drink that! haha

That's about all for this week! 

ELDER ROPER

A Serious Looking Elder That Laughs With Such Joy

Hello all!

Another week,  another email - right? This area is hard!  There isn't much going on for the work. We teach and teach and walk and walk, and no one comes to church. We have a young kid, 16 years old I think, we got his mom to sign the baptism permission, so he just needs to gain a testimony and we'll baptize him hopefully. 

We have done lots of service here lately. We carried a huge mountain of dirt and put it in this guys house with the whole zone. That was fun. I miss manual labor sometimes hahah. 

I found out that I'll be home by like the 22 of September 2019 or something like that, so Elder Walker and I made a deal to go to General Conference and he's gonna come to my homecoming. I told him I'm gonna hold him to that. I think I made a friend for longer than just the mission. He's a really good dude. 

One of the members told me last night that she's never seen such a serious looking Elder laugh with such joy. I just like to "mean mug" all the time and I like to laugh a lot as well. So, I don't think there's a better explanation of me honestly. 

Some guy gave us 2 soles yesterday, he told us he was Christian and he appreciated what we were doing. So that was cool. He told us to buy ice cream or a "san juan' which is a beer company here lololol.

Yeah, not much going on. I've been reading the New Testament a ton lately, and I'm trying to read it in spanish as well, so it is tough! Spanish is really hard with an English speaking comp - we don't speak spanish at all hahahahah.

Anyways . . .

Elder Roper!!!! (:

6 Months!

Elder Roper has been out 6 months!

18 months to go!

So proud of this kid and grateful for all of the experiences he is having!

All Is Well In Tushmo

Hello all, 

It was another sunny week in good old Tushmo. The work is rough here, I'm not gonna lie. This area is a lot different than the other one I was in. Primavera, was really boxy, and was easy to navigate. This one is just big and doesn't make any sense to me, so that is rough, but I'm excited for the challenge! I'm trying to stay away from the "tough area" idea because there's always the phrase "there is not a tough area, just missionaries with little faith...'' So thats been fun.  My new pensionista is tough. We don't eat alot haha, and I just get the poops. We watched her kill a chicken Saturday morning and then we ate it for lunch that day. That was something else. She told me I coulda done it if I wanted, but I kindly declined - bwahahaha!

I am enjoying my new companion, Elder Call!  He was a three sport athlete in high school, so we get along quite well. He is really dilligent, and it is killing me. We usually work right up until 9 o clock, something I never did with Elder Bothelo in Primavera. But, sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.

This weekend we had a stake conference, and it was fun!  I stayed in the exact same stake, so I got to see all my friends and members and my old pensionista this weekend. That was quite fun! There is a picture of me with a kid in a grey suit. He always left with us to do the lessons and he finally got his misison call to Guatamala, leaving August 8th. What a special day!

We did lots of service this last week, and we'll probably end up building a house, or helping build a house I should say this week. This week I hit 6 months, and I honestly think that is crazy. I feel like I was just in Pres. Schulte's office doing all the interview stuff and working at the O store. But life goes on. I'm also in my last month of my 18th year, which is insane. I'm really lookin forward to my birthday because my old pensionista told me they're gonna come visit with a gift, and WE GETTA FACETIME.  Que rico!  

I read the book of James yesterday before we went to church, and it is pretty good!  I really liked James 4: 7 and 8. Ya'll should read it (:

Before I finish this, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD.

All is well in Tushmo. 

ELDER ROPER